Consort Of Discord
by gecko-for-hire
Summary: After the Legion took the dam, Boone launched one final mission: To take down as many Legion as he could before they captured him. He was supposed to be lashed to a cross. But instead finds himself at the mercy of the Betrayer of the Mojave herself.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note:** Hey kids. This is a little side project I thought of. I am still working on 'Courier Who Changed New Vegas' if any of you are reading that one as well. I am giving you fair warning here and now though. **THIS STORY IS DARK! **I think I even creeped myself out writing and thinking up some of it. It contains about every type of abuse that exists. This story is based on female courier helping the Legion take the dam, and one of Boone's more tragic outcomes. Reviews are appreciated, as are critiques on my writing ability. This is not the sort of thing I normally write, but is more a challenge to myself to write out of my norm.

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><p>Boone sat in the corner, on the hard, earthen floor of the Legion prison. His wrists bound so tightly with rope it cut into his skin. A few other prisoners, most of them NCR soldiers, also sat or laid around the bare, dimly lit room. Some of them were quietly weeping, as they awaited their fate.<p>

Through the cracks in the wall, he could see the sky outside growing lighter. He was to be crucified at sunrise, which was probably less then an hour off. But he did not care. Boone had mentally checked out a long time ago. And he knew he wasn't going to come out of this alive in the first place.

One week ago to the day, the Legion took the Hoover Dam, pushing NCR forces all the way back west to the Mojave Outpost. And the courier he had once traveled with, was the one who secured their victory.

It was two days after that when Boone finally decided he'd had enough. Armed with only his rifle and all the .308's he could carry, he began a mission which he knew was only going to end one way. One by one, he took down scores of Legionaries. For three days straight he continued on his rampage. He did not sleep, he did not eat, he did not stop. Countless assassins came after him. But they too met their end, his beret being "The last thing they never saw."

It wasn't until after he crossed the river and was somewhere outside the Legate's Camp when fatigue finally caught up with him. He was eventually brought down and captured by a low level recruit Legionary.

Boone was taken to the Legate's camp and brought before Legate Lanius. As the Legate was complimenting Boone for his reckless abandon, Boone spat in his face, in front of all of the Legate's troops.

Now here he sat, in the Legate's camp, awaiting his execution. His whole body was numb. His mind blank. He was not afraid to die. At least he had taken as many of those bastards that he could with him. And he was ready to join them in hell.

A short while later, eight Legion soldiers entered the jail house. The two guards standing inside the door acknowledged them. One stepped forward and unlocked the gate to the holding cell.

Two of the men approached Boone and stood on either side. "On your feet, profligate!" one of them ordered as they grabbed him under the arms and pulled him to his feet. The Legionaries led him and four other men out of the building. Three women were left behind. They were most likely going to be enslaved.

Boone and the others were walked up a winding path into the rocky peaks above camp. Here several wooden crosses were situated, overlooking the dam. A group of Legionaries, slaves, and even a couple of young Legion boys had gathered to watch. Lanius himself, clad in his suit of gold armor, stood front and center in the group. Boone could feel Lanius's eyes on him. He was probably smirking beneath that mask. But Boone was damned if he was going to the bastard an inkling of satisfaction by showing any fear.

Suddenly there was a distraction amongst the crowd as a young Legionary came charging up the path. "Halt! Urgent message from Caesar! Do not yet proceed with the crucifixions!" He shouted.

The Young man ran up to the Centurion, who was to carry out the executions, and knelt down before him. "I have been sent to deliver a message from Caesar himself. The profligate sniper knows as Craig Boone is not to be crucified. Instead, he is to be transported to Fortification Hill immediately."

Boone blinked his eyes a couple of times. Did he really just hear that correctly, or was he becoming delirious?

"What? What is the meaning of this?" Legate Lanius charged forward. "I demand an explanation!" He fumed at the young messenger.

The young man bowed his head. "Sorry sir but I do not know. That is exactly the message they sent me with."

"Very well." Lanius growled as he backed off. "If it is Caesars orders, then he is to be transported to The Fort at once." He pointed to a couple of Veteran Legionaries in the crowd. "You, see to it that this man is delivered directly to Caesar."

The two men the Legate chose walked up to either side of Boone and took hold of him. They, along with the messenger proceeded to lead him away from the crucifixion site.

"What? Wait! That's not fair! Why does he get to be spared?" A young NCR soldier cried out.

"Silence profligate!" a guard barked out as he stuck the soldier over the head, knocking him to the ground.

Boone was taken away from the Legate's camp, and down a narrow path that lead to the upstream side of the Hoover Dam. There, a wooden boat was waiting for them. Boone thought about trying to make a break for it, but he just did not have the energy to do so. Under normal circumstances he maybe could have taken on the three men surrounding him, as well as the one in the boat. But he barely had enough energy to walk at this point. He was loaded into the boat and they made their way towards Fortification Hill.

The whole journey there took less then an hour. Once at the Fort, Boone was taken directly to Caesars tent. Legionaries stopped and watched him as he was led there. Some of them uttered curses and spat at him. Little doubt was in his mind that they knew exactly who he was.

Inside the tent sat Caesar at his throne. This was the first time Boone had ever laid eyes on the balding old man. And honestly, he did not look anything like Boone had ever expected. Caesar said nothing, but motioned to the ground before him. Boone was forced into a kneeling position in front of Caesar. He looked up and saw the last person he'd ever want to see step out from behind Caesar's throne.


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors note:** Oooooh I'm sooo baaaaad! If you don't hate this courier by the end of this chapter, then you have a cold, cold heart.

BTW: I am writing these quickly, just as a break to some of my other work. They are not beta read and may not be to my normal, overly picky standard. If you see any huge grammar errors, please let me know. =)

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><p>Eliza Powell, the courier he had once traveled with, stood before him. "Well now, if it isn't my old friend Craig Boone." Just hearing her voice again made his blood boil. She had a rather deep voice for a woman, and always spoke very deliberately.<p>

She glared down at him, a gleam in her fierce green eyes. Her right arm rested on her hip, which was thrust out to the side. She was tall and muscular, wearing brown fatigues and a grey tank top. Her long red hair was tied back into a French braid, the bottom portion of which, draped over her left shoulder. "Oh boy... you have really caused some problems for us over these past few days. It only makes sense that Lanius would want you on the cross. But I can't let that happen. After all, we were once friends, right?" She gave him a sinister smile. "I personally think it would be a shame to see you meet your end like that. And given your debt to the Legion... It is only fitting that you replace the slave you once took away from us."

Boone glanced around the room. It was full of high ranking Legionaries, all of them stone faced, their stares boring into him. Caesar remained wordless in his throne. In a far corner, Boone spied a familiar presence. Arcade Gannon, the Followers doctor who had once traveled with along side him in Eliza's group, stood alone, his arms folded across his chest. Their eyes briefly met, and Arcade gave him a sympathetic look, before he turned his head away. The unfolding situation obviously troubling him. At least that explained what had become of the friendly doctor. One day Eliza took him out on a mission and came back without him. Her only explanation being that "It's the wasteland, things happen." Cass and Veronica were especially saddened by his loss, the three of them had become fast friends.

"Bring me his personal effects." Eliza ordered to a praetorian guard standing beside Caesar. The guard retreated into the tent located behind Caesar's throne and returned moments later, holding Boone's rifle, his beret, and sunglasses. Eliza took the beret from the guard, and held it up, admiring it for a second before she dangled it in front of Boone's face. "The last thing you'll never see. You know, we expected resistance after we took the dam. But you alone were _the biggest _thorn in our side. You and this damn beret became some sort of bogyman for a couple of days there. But..." She took a knife from her back pocket. "This stupid hat won't be giving us trouble any longer."

Boone's eyes widened in shock as she dug the knife into his beret, the sound of ripping fabric filling the room as she tore it in half. She opened her hand and callously let the two halves fall into the dirt before him. He looked down at his beret, broken and defiled. He went through hell to earn that thing, and had worn it proudly ever since. Now it was gone. It felt like a piece of him had been ripped out, as if that knife had gone through his heart the moment it pierced the blood red fabric.

She next took up his sunglasses and snapped them in half. They too, dropped to the ground, landing on top of the beret. Boone watched helplessly as she stomped her foot down, his sunglasses crunching from beneath her boot as she ground his last remaining pieces of self into the dirt.

Lastly she took his rifle into her arms. "Come forward." She ordered someone who was standing somewhere behind him in the room. A young man came and knelt down next to Boone. Boone quickly recognized him as the recruit who had captured him.

"As a reward for your valiant effort, for apprehending an enemy of the Legion, and as a token of your promotion to Prime Legionary, I on behalf of Caesar and his Legion, present you with this." She placed Boone's rifle in the man's arms. The man quietly thanked her before he rose to his feet and returned to the back of the room.

Boone's whole body shook with fury. How badly he wanted to break the ropes around his wrists and choke her to death himself. Eliza must have noticed this, for she knelt down to his level and roughly took hold of his chin, jerking his eyes up to meet hers. "Hell is going to have to wait until I'm done with you." She whispered quietly.

She stood up, taking his beret and sunglasses with her, casually tossing them onto a fire pit burning in the corner. "Collar him, and bring him to my tent." She said, not even looking back as she left Caesar's tent.


	3. Important note to my readers

Listen up chillllldren!

I've got a bad news - good news - bad news sandwhich for all of my readers.

Bad news: We had a catastrohic system crash. For a while there is looked really bad. EVERYTHING was gone. Years of writing I have done, photos, stuff for my work, as well as all of the progress for my current fics.

Good news: My husbands best friend (professional IT, always good to know one) was able to do a critical recovery and find most of our stuff. With any luck the data is un-harmed and in-tact, safely stored to back ups. But I have no way to really check right now.

Bad News: Not sure how long until the system is clean and safe to use again. What ever hit us was really really bad. Whole systems needs thorough cleaning, and to be completely restored. And even then there is no 100% guarantee my stuff is un-corrupted.

Sooooo, not sure how long it will be until you see more updates from me.

-Amanda


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